Dry Brine for Kokanee Salmon

Salmon is delicious, but a good kokanee salmon dish begins with the preparation. A lot of salmon recipes, especially smoked kokanee recipes, begin with brining the fish. A brine is a salt and sugar combination that penetrates the flesh, enhances flavor, and alters the texture of the fish, generally making it cook and taste better. Brining kokanee also adds flavor and also helps the salmon retain moisture. Retaining moisture is especially important when either baking, or smoking kokanee salmon. In a way, it cures the kokanee slightly before its cooked. Bacon is proof that curing meet is a good choice. The brine helps to elevate the kokanee and its flavor. The dry brine for kokanee salmon will really elevate the preparation of your catch.

I’ve been studying both catching and preparing kokanee for years. I’ve found them to be one of the most delicious fresh water fish you can catch. I’m not a professional chef, but I’ve made a point to learn how to prepare anything I can catch, and think its the mark of a true sportsman if you can not only catch something, but then put together an incredible meal out of it. My favorite preparation is smoking kokanee, and kokanee is best when its smoked. I’ve found that the best smoked kokanee has been brined before it hits the smoker.

About Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon are landlocked sockeye salmon, which means they don’t return to the ocean and live their entire lives in lakes or reservoirs before spawning in rivers and streams. These salmon are delicious and are really strong fighters, making them a prime target for anglers, and the popularity of this fish is growing. Because they don’t return to the ocean, kokanee salmon tend to be smaller and a more delicate, softer textured fish than their ocean going cousins, the sockeye salmon.

How Long Do You Brine Kokanee

Kokanee and other fish need to brine for at least 24 hours. I like to try to do closer to 48 hours. But you can brine them for up to 72 hours. I wouldn’t go longer than that.

What is a Dry Brine

A dry brine in many ways cures the flesh of kokanee salmon.

Even though the ingredients go on dry, a dry brine will pull moisture out of the fish, which will in turn moisten the salt and sugar, allowing it to sink further into the fish. That’s not to say that it completely dries out the fish. Rather, it pulls out just some of the moisture and sinks the salt and sugar’s effect and flavor deeper into the fish. This helps to firm up the fish and enhance the flavor. The result is a better texture and a richer flavor.

Wet Brine vs Dry Brine

A wet brine is a traditional brine, with the salt and sugar in water. A dry brine is just salt, sugar, and spices that are packed on to the fish, without any water or liquid. A dry brine is nice when you have smaller amounts of fish. If you’ve got a lot of fish to brine, its much easier to mix up the big pot of brine and get all your fish in and brining at once. A dry brine you can quickly throw on just a few fillets without using up a lot of material. It also takes up much less space in the fridge.

I also tend to prefer a wet brine if I’m doing a more sweet smoked kokanee salmon recipe, like kokanee candy. I prefer a dry brine for more savory preparations.